Veneration of the Saints

Definition and Meaning

The veneration of the saints is the practice of honoring and imitating people whom the church recognizes as having lived holy lives, and of asking them to pray to God on one's behalf. It is practiced in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The Catholic Church distinguishes between adoration (latria, supreme worship), which is offered to God alone, and veneration (dulia), which is given to the saints. It further explains that a higher form of veneration, hyperdulia, is given to Mary. On the basis of this distinction, the Catholic Church holds that the veneration of the saints differs from worship.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Catholic and Orthodox Churches cite passages such as Hebrews 12:1, which describes those who went before in the faith as "so great a cloud of witnesses," and Revelation 5:8, which speaks of "the prayers of saints" rising before God. They also interpret "the communion of saints" in the Apostles' Creed (rendered in the Korean Catholic translation as "the communion of all saints") to mean that the living and the departed saints are joined together as one. The early church is known to have gathered at the tombs of martyrs on the anniversaries of their deaths to commemorate them. The Second Council of Nicaea in 787 approved the veneration of icons.

After the Reformation, Protestants criticized this practice. Article XXI of the Augsburg Confession affirms that the saints may be remembered as examples of faith and good works, but it states that Scripture does not teach prayer to the saints. The Westminster Confession of Faith stipulates that worship is to be given to God alone and not to angels or saints. As their principal basis, Protestants cite 1 Timothy 2:5–6, which states that there is only one mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ. They also hold that in the New Testament the term saints refers to all believers.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Catholic Church: In 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized 103 Korean martyrs in Seoul. In 2014, Pope Francis beatified 124 individuals. Pilgrimages to martyrs' shrines and the observance of saints' feast days are widespread.
• Anglican Church of Korea and Lutheran Church in Korea: These churches include commemorations of saints in the liturgical calendar and remember their lives. They generally do not emphasize asking the saints for their prayers.
• Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, Full Gospel, and other churches: These churches apply the term saint to all believers. They clearly maintain that prayer is to be offered to God alone, and some criticize the practice of asking saints for their prayers as carrying the danger of idolatry. Instead, they honor martyrs such as Ju Gi-cheol and Son Yang-won as examples of faith through memorial services and memorial halls.